Variety of topics have been applied on stamps to create the colorful of stamps in the world.

Sunday, 3 October 2010

Orchids of the South Pacific - Tuvalu

Orchid species depicted on stamps are : Vuylstekeara cambria, Dendrobium nobile on two stamps, Phalaenopsis nivacolor, Cattleya trianea, Cymbidium Alexander.The souvenir sheet as marked Orchids of the South Pacific, was issued by Tuvalu Post on year 2008. All orchids are very famous species because the very excited colour and shape.

Vuylstekeara Cambria is a hybrid orchid from genus Cochlioda, Miltoniopsis and Odontoglossum .With wildly dappled burgundy lips surrounding a burst of vivid yellow. Vuylstekeara cambria is a diva of the orchid world. One of the most awarded hybrids in the Vuylstekeara genus, cambria is considered the finest cultivar. Its virtuosity of colour is complemented by the elegance of its shape—delicately shaped petals bow the graceful arch of this stem like the exquisitely bent neck of a Degas dancer.

Dendrobium nobile or Noble Dendrobium, is a member of the family Orchidaceae. It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, This orchid is one of the most widespread ornamental members of the family. There are many different created varieties which bloom in different colors - yellow, white, etc. The plant is native to southern Asia. Dendrobium nobile is a sympodial orchid which forms pseudobulbs. When the life cycle of the mother plant ends it produces little offsets, continuing the life of the plant. The same cycle is used every year. The stem is erect and during the flowering period it forms blooms on its sides along the whole length of the orchid. This monocot has thin, white roots and leads an epiphytic type of life.

Phalaenopsis nivacolor is a hybrid cultivar from Phalaenopsis. Phalaenopsis is one of the most popular orchids in the trade, through the development of many artificial hybrids. Phalaenopsis have approximately 60 species.Possessing neither pseudobulbs nor rhizome, Phalaenopsisshows a monopodial growth habit: an erect growing stem produces one or two alternate, thick, fleshy, elliptical leaves a year from the top while the older, basal leaves drop off at the same rate. If very healthy, a Phalaenopsis plant can have up to ten or more leaves.

Cattleya trianae also known as Christmas Orchid is a plant belonging to the Orchidaceae family. It grows as an epiphytic orchid, with succulent leaves, endemic to Colombia. The species was named after the 19th century Colombian botanist Jerónimo Triana therefore Cattleya trianae was nominated as the National Flower of Colombia in November 1936. The species grows at 1500–2000 meters above sea level, in Cloud forests. It is presently an endangered species due to habitat destruction.

Cymbidium Alexander is is a cymbidium hybrid that blooms from late winter through summer. Seed Parent is Cymbidium Veitchii and Pollen Parent is Cymbidium insigne. Cymbidium is one of the most popular and desirable orchids in the world because of the beautiful flowers. These plants make great houseplants, and are also popular in floral arrangements and corsages. Cymbidium have been cultivated for thousands of years, especially in China. Each flower can have a diameter of 5 to 10 cm, according to the species. They bloom during the winter, and each plant can have up to fifteen or more flowers. The fantastic range of colours for this genus include white, green, yellowish-green, cream, yellow, brown, pink, and red (and there may be markings of other colour shades at the same time), but not blue and black. The rounded sepals and petals have about the same dimensions and a waxy texture. Cymbidium show very diverse colour patterns, different for every species.